Get Spiritual and Kick Butt!

“Who cares about spiritual”,you say. Well, maybe you are right about that. I know for the majority of my life, I didn’t care. As I suspect, a big chunk of people fit in this category. Most of us are just to pre-occupied dealing with the everyday challenges of life, to get all hot and bothered with “mankind’s growth”. Right ?To my surprise, this article turned out to be one of my most popular featured on my site. I guess their is interest in the spiritual.I imagine mankind, from day 1, like when the ape realized his “consciousness” or when Adam woke up from his nap, in the Garden of Eden, depending on your frame of thought.This business of how to face the horrible acts of nature and survive? The normal logical approach to those problems “way back then” was to get on your knees and plead your case before the gods of nature. Now that’s getting spiritual.As the human being development increased, so did his vision of his god. Slowly but surely, his god become closer to his image. I suppose this is only natural. In brief, we went from primal religions to world religions. The spiritual world really went to work!As civilization became more developed so did out outlook on God, religion, and the spiritual. At least this is what the world celebrated author Huston Smith, in his book, the World Religions, states. For what it is worth, Huston Smith is one of my heroes. This guy borders on pure genius, in my opinion.Yes, their our several leaders in the Christian Community that are attempting to modernize, secularize, personalize, and or relate their tenents to helping people manage successfully the stress and strain of living in the United States in the 21st Century.These Christian leaders speak of a loving and caring God who wants us to enjoy life and prosper. Some of them are pretty good at it. As evidence by their fantastic wealthy and successful lives. I am not saying there is anything wrong with this.That is, as long as there is no selfish exploitation going on. Millions of their followers are donating large sums of their earnings to these Religious Leaders. Apparently, the U.S Government is investigating some of these religious leaders for potential financial schemes. It will be interesting to see how this investigations turns out.Personally speaking, I like Joel Osteen. He doesn’t throw the “Give me your money” right in your face. He is not as blatant about it. And, most importantly, he seems sincere in presentations.I went forty years without going inside a church. This guy is largely responsible for me “returning” to church. I like his down to earth, less sanctimonious approach. He likes to put the spiritual in the natural world.Apparently, a lot of other people do also, He has the most successful following in Houston, Texas. I listen to his Sunday TV program occasionally.From the practical standpoint, the question raised is, does religion help mankind in the 21st Century cope with living? As a believer in positive thinking, I think it does. The sure act of the power of belief and what it can do for people is mind boggling.I am talking about the miraculous workings of the Sub Conscious Mind. You think I am kidding? Just look at the “placebo phenomenon”. People will take pills believing they have healing power. When, in fact, these pills have no healing elements in them. But, the people taking these pills don’t know this. They think they are the “real Mc Coy”.What happens next? Bang! Under careful observation, these folks report they are feeling better, for what ever ailed them. How’s that grab you?Oh yeah. It’s all in the mind. As Joel Osteen has pointed out, when you get into this God thing, you are getting into the “Supernatural”. So, I figure, who cares about dotting the I’s and crossing the t’s. If it works, use it. Get out there and “get some”. Start making your life happen and count for something now! Use the spiritual. Embrace it and “work it” for your positive benefit.I realize the “purists” won’t like this. I don’t blame them. “I are one too”. Or, at least I used to be a big bad idealist. I will tell you the truth. One of my most life affirming and enlightening experiences was when I went through three major surgical operations during the last twenty four months!I can honestly say, I am no longer the uptight confused guy I once was. My close calls and little dance with the Grim Reaper cured me of all of that stuff.They had me dead and buried eighteen months ago with cancer and pneumonia. I left the hospital after eighteen days twenty five pounds lighter and ten tons “smarter”. Like I love life now and I will take it in any shape or fashion I can get it. Well, not quite. Almost though.In summary, this spiritual stuff could be one big joke. It could be a myth or fairy tale. Nobody has come back from the dead that can prove it. On second thought, there are a few traditions, that do make those claims. But nobody, that I know of, where the scientific community has some proof, is recorded or exists.On the other hand, there is no denying the positive effects that life affirming religious belief has on people. So, the question is, if it works, why not use it? I am referring to making your life better. Making living easier.There seem to be some Generic Core Values in the major World Religions. What’s wrong with loving your neighbor as yourself? What’s wrong with the Golden Rule-Do unto others as you would have them do unto you? Believe me, these kind of thoughts really energize the supernatural. Believe it, what goes around, does come around. Why not work it, and make it work for you?I like the Instructions about controlling ones anger and general emotional control. You get a lot of this in the Old Testament. Being a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, I am interested in most things that favor self mastery. Hoorah for Bruce Lee. Incidentally, Mr. Lee was quite big on the Spiritual.Most societies in the world are quite competitive. Making a good living is not easy for most of us. So, if you can get an “Edge up” on life, why not do it? Dealing with the natural course of events in life can be challenging to say the least.If you can get the Supernatural working with you, regardless of the fashion, why not? You can call it whatever you want. Call it God, Spiritual, Laws of the Universe, call it Macaroni if it makes you feel better.But anyway, do yourself a favor and just call it. You will fall off your chair when you find out how easy spiritual involvement is. And, most importantly, what fun it is. Cheers.